Snake bite outfit



May 29, 93 s. R. BENEDICT SNAKE BITE OUTFIT Filed Aug.- 13. 1932 INVENTOR 307721467 5? .fleneda'zt ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1934 STATES PATENT OFHCE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to an outfit or kit for the treatment of snake bites.

The chief object of my invention is to devise a compact, inexpensive, and sterile outfit combining the various elements, essential for the prompt and effective treatment of snake bites, which are so assembled that naturally in their proper order they can be applied by the most unskilled persons to efiectively remove the venom and protect the 1 victim from the serious consequences that inevitably result if the poison is permitted to get into the system.

Various outfits involving syringes for the injection of anti-toxin and appliances for removing venom by the application of vacuum or suction have been heretofore provided but they are expensive as a general rule and are not only cumbersome but are of such character that the ordinary person cannot conveniently carry them on his person and would ordinarily not possess the skill and knowledge to utilize them properly so as to obtain effective relief.

In my improved outfit the elements are so associated that they are assembled for use in the order in which they should be used for the treatment of a snake bite and they are so assembled that they mutually coact to protect each other and particularly to maintain sterile the knife or blade employed for opening the snake bite wound.

More particularly, my invention consists in an outfit or kit comprising a small suction pump, preferably housing a cylinder with a powerful suction bulb forming a permanent and sterile closure for one end thereof, a cork forming a sterile closure for its other end, the cork serving also as a handle and depth gauge for a sterile blade employed to puncture and open the snake bite wound and normally protected within the pump cylinder, and finally a tourniquet in the form of a narrow fabric strap adapted to be wound about the pump cylinder. When the cylinder is formed of glass it will be protected by being enveloped in the tourniquet and will have at its ends the cork and bulb to guard and cushion it so that it can be safely placed in a small closely fitting kit bag and carried in the pocket for convenient and ready use.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, and in which:-

Fig. 1 shows the kit open with the elements of the outfit shown assembled in longitudinal cross section except the knife blade which is shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 illustrates the manner of use of the cork handled knife for effectively opening the snake bite wound.

Fig. 3 illustrates the tourniquet and the suction pump applied to an arm, the pump acting to draw back out of the opened wound the venom injected by the snake.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In assembling the outfit preparatory to mounting it in a small compact kit 4, I provide a suction pump 5 preferably formed by a glass cylinder closed at one end by a suction bulb 6 having a shank 7 that is fitted air tight in the cylinder so as to form a sanitary closure therefor. The other end of the cylinder I close by a sterile cork 8 having inserted axially into its inner end the shank 9 of a narrow thin pointed and very sharp knife blade 10 which projects from the cork a distance sufficient to penetrate to the full depth to which the fangs of the serpent will enter the flesh.

Fig. 2 shows the manner in which the cork 8 forms not onlya handle for the knife but also a positive guard or stop to limit the depth of its penetration, thus not leaving to the discretion of the unskilled patient how deeply the snake bite wound should be opened. In addition to thus forming a handle and stop, the cork when fitted tightly into the other end of the cylinder 5 will project the blade, previously sterilized, in a sterile container until ready for use.

The pump thus assembled has the flexible strap or tape 11, forming a tourniquet, wound about it and the cork, the tourniquet being of suificient length and its windings being so lapped as to aiford ample protection for the glass cylinder from. fracture under ordinary conditions when carried in the pocket.

It will be noted that the elements for the treatment of the snake bite, when thus assembled, form a substantially cylindrical unit which can be readily and snugly fitted in the small flexible oblong kit bag 4 adapted to fit conveniently in the pocket, so that the outfit can be carried without inconvenience.

One of the chief advantages of the outfit thus assembled lies in the fact that the several arti cles comprising it are accessible in the proper order of their use. In the event it becomes necessary to treat a snake bite, the first thing to be done is to unwind the tourniquet and apply it above the wound so as to prevent the venom from getting into the system. The removal of the tourniquet leaves the suction pump exposed and the next step is to withdraw the cork carrying the knife blade and plunge the latter two or more times into the wound formed by the snakes fangs, thus opening the latter for the removal of poison therethrough from the area of infiltration 12 indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The final step consists in the application of the suction pump as shown in Fig. 3,, which will exert a strong steady suction on the opened wound surficient to induce a free outflow of blood which will soon bring out with it the venom from the area 12. Thus the snake bite can be treated very simply and effectively by unskilled persons.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. An outfit for the treatment of snake bites, comprising a pump cylinder having at one end a suction inducing element forming a sanitary closure and a stopper for sealing the other end of the cylinder, and a knife blade projecting axially from the inner end of the stopper and adapted to be received and housed within and kept sterile by said pump cylinder.

2. A snake bite outfit comprising in combination a suction pump having a cylinder closed at its ends by a suction inducing bulb and by a cork, and a sterile blade mounted in the inner end of the cork and adapted to be housed and kept sterile within said cylinder.

SAMUEL R. BENEDICT. 

